Knobbly but skinny

ajoten

Not me, but tyres.

As I was pootling along the other day I passed a Bridleway sign and wondered about the wisdom of turning off to explore. On the assumption that a cyclo-x type tyre would be best on muddy and gravelly tracks, I've been keeping an eye out for <25mm tyres that might give some grip - I doubt I have clearance for anything chubbier.

The only ones I can find that aren't slick are these chaps http://www.wiggle.co.uk/halo-twin-rail-courier-road-tyre/#more.

Would they work?

edhornby

I've not used the halo's so can't say with total authority, but I'd say probably not.
they are designed for fixed gear riders who use skis stops to control the speed of the bike and so I would guess they are a very hard compund rubber, which isn't what you're looking for

given that you have limited clearance you could get a set of 28s (if you can get them into the frame) of whatever persuasion you can and have a go

Peddle Up!

Not really a direct answer to your question, but this is a good example for keeping a second (hybrid) bike to take advantage of the opportunity. Whenever I've found myself on a rough stretch on my road bike it's been hell trying to stay on and worried about dropping the bike. On the hybrid I just enjoy the ride.

cougie

You dont need to go too mad with grip I find - I have these on my cross bike and they coped really well on an adventure race when most riders were on MTBs.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=24548

Monty Dog

I would agree on the Schwalbe Marathons - surprisingly grippy and tough as old boots - wider tyres do allow you to run lower pressures which helps a lot with grip. The general view with cross tyres is to run them at the lowest pressure possible without risking an impact puncture.

ajoten

When I've tried to squeeze 28s on a racer previously it's rubbed against the stays/fork (can't remember which end), so those 25s might be worth a go. Thanks for the advice!

jamesu

Thirded on the Schwalbe Marathons - My set have taken anything and everything greater London has to offer until recently retired due to wear - nearly two years of puncture free riding.

Phate

Some of the pro's use these to deal with cobbles etc

Vittoria Pave EVO-CX (Tubs)

ajoten

what are they like over grass, mud and gravel?

Monty Dog

Err, leave the Vittoria Paves at home unless you have a Team Car following - they might be OK for pave, but offer little resistance against sharp flints / glass and have no grip on mud / wet grass. You can get away with a slick tyre in the dry / hardpack but as soon as it gets wet or loose, expect to start slipping about.

Variado

The general view with cross tyres is to run them at the lowest pressure possible without risking an impact puncture.

When pumped up to max the Continental 35mm Cross Race tyres on my 'cross bike became lethal on wet tarmac, offering me one brief chance mid-corner to demonstrate my awesome bike handling skills to the rest of the club while nearly cr@pping myself, before overcorrecting the other way, coming to a juddering halt on the verge, forgetting to unclip and falling over sideways. After everyone stopped laughing I let lots of pressure out and they were much better...

Monty Dog

With any knobbly tyre, you only have to look at the amount of rubber on the road to realise that grip on tarmac is marginal - a semi-slick is far more viable for mixed surfaces - a central file tread for straight-line grip and side knobs be grip on the loose / soft. One of the reasons I quite enjoy blasting around on my cross bike is improving my bike handling - controlling a slide in the loose is often more recoverable than it is on tarmac IME - and generally less painful if you get it wrong.

vorsprung

All "touring" tyres- tough, with a bit of tread or "cyclo cross" are too big to fit on a racing bike

Touring tyres start at 28mm and cyclocross 30mm

The simple solution is to get another bike